A phone conversation with Sylvia Hart (working buddette and good friend), brought the decision of meeting at The Gold Coast. I sent out the usual emails after finally getting semi-settled in the coach on Friday night, the 7th. I called Marie on Saturday and found that she was going to be playing at the Mirage and I would pick her up on my way. Wayne is back in Maryland visiting family. I called Mark AKA Kram – he was being a tourist somewhere in Las Vegas…I have no idea what that means but don’t let me start guessing, the possibilities are endless. I left a phone message for Amy – but no call/no show on her and Greg. I think Chad Patterson has left the fold…he just bought a house and still works at MGM but he never responds so…

Marie and I arrived to find Tami waiting for us. Tami is going to be one of our dealers at Bellagio – I met her in a game at Bellagio a few weeks ago and invited her to join the Saturday night group. She’s a cutie!

The three of us sat down at an empty table and ordered drinks but before they were served, a new $2-4H game with a half kill opened and we took seats right next to each other. If you’re playing the Gold Coast, make sure to get your ‘poker’ player’s card and clock in when you take a seat. The game started shortly after that with a few seats open. Ilia arrived, took a seat, and announced that he could only stay a short time. Viv had called and was on the way, but running late.

The poker room is right next to a lounge – no music – and some of the cocktail servers work out of a service bar on one end of the lounge bar. Two of them were having an unusually great time with the bartenders…they could be heard cackling and screeching in gales of laughter far beyond the poker room. It went on…and on…and on. I finally complained to Tracy, the shift supervisor of the poker room. Don’t worry, it didn’t even slow down and about an hour later, cranked back up. I know it’s a ‘locals’ joint but some of that stuff is beyond ridiculous. No…I wasn’t the only one it bothered, I just happened to be the only one that complained.

Absolutely no picture taking! I took one outside the room and left it alone.

A few minutes after our game kicked off, they started a $1-2 NLH game right next to us and Ilia jumped at the chance to play in it. We chided him about going over there – his money was better off in our game. He went anyway.

Viv and Sylvia arrived at about the same time. Sylvia was stopping by for a visit and a drink, Viv got on the list. They both pulled up chairs by Tami, Marie, and me, and we gabbed while I folded. I barely found a hand to play and the only pot I won was one I was involved in with Tami. She held Q-Q and I had 5-6 D. I turned a straight, putting three Clubs on the board and she had the Queen of Clubs. She Rivered trip Queens and checked to me. I checked and stacked the chips. The game was pretty quiet. I think Marie played every hand – or close to it – which is unusual for her but she won enough of them that she had ammo.

Tami left us for Bellagio, Viv had her seat. It was next to me, but a guy at the other end of the table that had his eye on Sylvia jumped at the chance to move next to me. Viv did have her seat, it was just too damn far away. Of course Sylvia flirted with Romeo (not his name, of course) and he flirted with her…non stop. He gave her his business card. She asked him if he was going to go dancing with her. She was right between him and me. I jumped in, “You are supposed to ask him if his WIFE will object if you call him to go dancing.”

He did some evasive monologue about his feet getting twisted and tangled and I pursued, “What about your wife?”

Finally…he fessed up. Of course he was married. Sylvia, stick with me girl, I’ll get you out of those messy triangle wanna be’s.

Ilia busted out of the game he was in and came to say good bye, he had an appointment. Yes…an appointment, he’s a masseur also.

The seat next to Marie (10s) opened and Viv moved to it. We gabbed and I still folded every hand. My cards never seem to change, no matter where I play, what limit, or who’s dealing…B&M or Internet. *whine*

I took a walk and had Sylvia pick up a few hands for me…dealer change in progress. When I returned, the dealer called the Supervisor over to inform him that we were changing players on the chips. The Supervisors had changed, Tracy was gone for the night. The dealer was stuttering through what had happened, I started to say, “She was playing my chips…”

SNAP! “Let me hear from the dealer…” Whew! Deep breath here buddy…deep breath.

I never said another word. The supervisor was rather abrupt with the dealer too, informing the dealer that we couldn’t share or discuss a hand, but playing each other’s chips was fine.

Gary arrived to pick up Marie, he took a seat at our table. It’s funny that he always plays $20-40 at The Mirage and then slums down to $2-4 or $4-8 to play with us once in awhile. He won a huge pot – huge by $2-4 standards – when Romeo picked up K-K, Marie had Q-Q, and Gary had J-J. All the raises went in pre-flop, I was there with 9-10 as I had the BB, and almost everyone else in the game called all the raises pre-flop. The Flop was J-7-2. Of course I needed an 8 to win the hand. All the raises went in on the Flop but we lost a few players. The Turn paired the board with a deuce. See ya! I folded when Romeo bet out. All the raises went in again. On the River, it was Marie, Romeo and Gary. Romeo and Marie checked, Gary bet, Romeo called…and so did Marie. I’ve had more than one conversation with Marie about making the overcall on the River but apparently she can’t get off the hand. I could. Especially considering who was doing the raising. Kee-rist! What do I know? I one won pot in the five hours we played.

This particular venture seemed quiet and subdued, not the usual camaraderie and noise of greetings and fun that we all share. But then they can’t all be upbeat and whoopee!

I believe there are eight tables in the Gold Coast poker room. All most all of the dealers that have dealt to me so far are just ‘adequate’ or below standard. Although I’m sure they feel they are great at their jobs. I cautioned one of them about pulling the bets in before the action was complete. He informed me that if there was a raise, he would just go around the table again and collect the raises. Sounds so damn simple -Doesn’t it? But what if X, Y, and Z have $8 in front of them and the other player’s bets are in the pot and X raises it to 12 and one of the players that has his bet pulled in now makes it 16?

Another thing that most of them do is immediately point or wave their hand at the person that’s first in the action – some of them with the auto statement, “$4 or check,” never giving you a millisecond to look at the board or the courtesy of acting like you know how to play poker. I hate this. In the first few minutes of dealing a game, I know who is paying attention and who needs constant prompting.

They have great high hand jackpots. That’s why I played the 5-6 D when Tami raised it in front of me. One huge downside is a handrail that secures the poker room from the rest of the casino and if you’re playing at a table by the handrail, smokers stand right over it and smoke as they watch the game. PUKE!

Sylvia was ready to go, and said all of her goodbyes to Romeo – and me. By 11:45ish, the remaining four – Gary, Viv, Marie, and me – were ready to go too. There was a steak calling my name at the coffee shop. We ate. Yummy! They have great graveyard food specials…and great food at the Gold Coast. The company was great too.

The end.